Hong Kong Court to Sentence Three Tiananmen Vigil Organizers

A Hong Kong court is due to sentence three activists on Friday who spent years organizing the city's annual Tiananmen Square remembrance vigils, in a case widely viewed as a measure of Hong Kong's civil liberties under a Beijing-imposed national security law.

Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung and Albert Ho were convicted of inciting subversion earlier this year and each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The three were leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which for three decades organized a candlelight vigil that stood as the only large-scale public commemoration of the 1989 crackdown in China.

Hundreds, and possibly thousands, of people were killed when military tanks entered central Beijing and troops opened fire to end the student-led pro-democracy protests of 1989.

For decades the vigil drew tens of thousands of people to Victoria Park each year, coming to symbolize the civil liberties that distinguished Hong Kong from the mainland. Authorities banned the gathering in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.

In August, three government-approved judges found the trio guilty of inciting subversion, pointing to the alliance's demand to "end one-party dictatorship." The judges held that the group encouraged supporters to end the Chinese Communist Party's leadership through unlawful means, and that the call carried the idea of overthrowing or undermining it.

Lee and Chow pleaded not guilty, while Ho entered a guilty plea, which can reduce a sentence. The three were charged in September 2021 and have been held in custody for years. During the trial, the defense denied any intent to end the party's leadership and said the alliance had not urged people to adopt illegal methods. Lee said the call to end one-party rule and move toward democracy meant letting the people choose their leaders.

Chow, who represented herself, said the verdict suggested that pursuing democracy is a crime and that she did not deserve even a single day in prison.

The Hong Kong office of China's foreign ministry said the city is governed by the rule of law and that no one should be allowed to engage in unlawful activities under the pretext of freedom of speech and press. The statement came in response to criticism of the verdict by foreign governments.

Beijing says the security law is needed to maintain stability. Since a 2019 protest movement shook the city, authorities have reduced public choice in elections and prosecuted leaders of news outlets known for critical reporting. Many prominent activists have been imprisoned under the law, and dozens of civil society groups have dissolved, including the alliance.

Friday's sentences would be the latest high-profile penalties imposed under the security law. In February, former pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Urania Chiu, a lecturer in law at Oxford Brookes University in Britain, said the guilty verdicts confirmed that even peaceful calls for democratic change in China's system are now criminalized in Hong Kong.